According to a study from Brown University that was published in the April issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, 21% of seniors received a potentially harmful drug for which there was a safer alternative in 2009. This was based on data from more than 6 million Medicare patients. If one in five seniors are on a dangerous drug, and the average senior takes 6 prescription drugs, that there's only one risky drug for each 30 prescriptions. This seems like a gross underestimation of what these authors are calling "risky." Can you imagine the risks of patients in either hospitals or convalescent hospitals who are often on more than 20 drugs!
One of the conclusions of these researchers is that patients should look into the safety of their medications. Hello! How about MDs and pharmacists taking on this responsibility!
